Van Build
how we do it, what we use and more details
1988 VW T3 Caravelle
Our LittleWagen was born in 1988. I started looking for camper van few months before Covid-19 made the stupid worldtour. 9 months later I finally found LittleWagen. She is a bit rusty and need a lots of work but old Volkswagen busses that are in good condition are really hard to find these days.
Volkswagen T3 Caravelle
Engine: 1.6 L (1588 cc) (51 kW / 70 PS / 69 bhp) (Serial #JX) Turbocharged I4. (We are swaping our engine to 1.9 AAZ at the moment! More about that soon!)
Transmission: 4 speed manual
Dimensions: Lenght 4,569 mm (179.9 in) and Width 1,844 mm (72.6 in)
We chose our VW T3 because it’s truly the most iconic van in the vanlife community. I have had old classic cars before and there’s a certain romance to work with a pre-computer engine, learning it inside-out and having the ability to add new innovations to your car. If you’re on a budget, don’t want to deal with a lot of mechanical issues, or really want to customize your van’s interior and functionality as a living space, there are much better options.
View this post on Instagram
We will be documenting all our build details in Instagram Story Highlights @littlewagen and will be posting more about the build here.
![](https://i0.wp.com/littlewagen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/C3B562BC-A81A-4601-8C44-ECC7F54FCF66-scaled.jpeg?resize=450%2C300&ssl=1)
Step-by-Step Guide: Changing the Head Gasket on a Volkswagen T3 with JX or AAZ Diesel Engine
![](https://i0.wp.com/littlewagen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/IMG_2562.jpg?resize=450%2C300&ssl=1)
Swaping engine to 1.9TD (AAZ) – Part 2
![](https://i0.wp.com/littlewagen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/IMG_6115-2.jpg?resize=450%2C300&ssl=1)
Our sliding ragtop sunroof installation
![](https://i0.wp.com/littlewagen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/IMG_2751lai.jpg?resize=450%2C300&ssl=1)
How to fix stripped threads?
![Upholstery vw t3 seats van life van conversion vw t25](https://i0.wp.com/littlewagen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/IMG_2201.jpg?resize=450%2C300&ssl=1)
The journey of our new seat covers
![](https://i0.wp.com/littlewagen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/IMG_2562.jpg?resize=450%2C300&ssl=1)
Swaping engine to 1.9TD (AAZ) – Part 1
![](https://i0.wp.com/littlewagen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/aaz-engine-1.9td-vw-t3-swap.jpg?resize=450%2C300&ssl=1)
1.6TD (JX) to 1.9TD (AAZ) To-do-list
![](https://i0.wp.com/littlewagen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/photo-1464219789935-c2d9d9aba644.jpeg?resize=450%2C300&ssl=1)